Why Doctors Should Attend the HLTH Conference
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- 8 min read
In our online physician communities, members often post questions about how to get involved in health innovation, find startup advisory or consulting positions, or how to learn more about AI or the future of medicine. We often recommend that they join us at the HLTH or ViVE conferences for the popular Physicians @ HLTH programs that we run in partnership with the team at HLTH at each event. While many healthcare innovation conferences have historically catered to non-clinical audiences, leaving physicians feeling more like observers than participants, we’re trying to change that by giving physicians a seat at the table and involving them on stages, at networking events, and on the showroom floor. The initiative is designed to ensure physicians are active contributors to conversations about healthcare’s future. Whether you’re interested in health technology, artificial intelligence, leadership, entrepreneurship, consulting, advising, or the future of healthcare, the HLTH conference offers a unique opportunity to connect clinical expertise with industry innovation. Below, we’ll cover why we think HLTH is worth attending as a practicing physician.
Disclosure/Disclaimer: We are partners with HLTH program, and are paid for our role of helping make the Physicians @ HLTH program possible. Our content is for generalized educational purposes. While we try to ensure it is accurate and updated, we cannot guarantee it. We are not formal financial, legal, or tax professionals and do not provide individualized advice specific to your situation. You should consult these as appropriate and/or do your own due diligence before making decisions based on this page. To learn more, visit our disclaimers and disclosures.
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What is HLTH, and why should doctors consider attending the event as part of the Physicians @ HLTH program?
Changes in the healthcare landscape are increasingly influencing how physicians practice, document care, and navigate their careers. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are transforming documentation workflows. Digital health platforms are expanding broader access to patient care. New payment models are influencing practice economics. Startups are developing tools that impact clinical workflows and patient care.
As such, these days, many physicians are looking to understand and contribute to the broader forces reshaping healthcare and to become a part of the health innovation ecosystem. Physicians who understand these technologies early may be better positioned to navigate the implications for their careers, and to evaluate and shape their adoption. Whether they simply want to be exposed to these spaces, or whether they’re actively looking to become founders, startup advisors, consultants, or CMOs, HLTH offers the opportunity to explore this interest.
This event is unlike any society conference most physicians have been to. It brings together the founders, executives, investors, policymakers, and clinicians shaping healthcare. Rather than learning about major industry changes after they're implemented, physicians can engage directly with the people driving those decisions and see what is in the pipeline.
Physicians attend HLTH for a variety of reasons, including:
Understanding and keeping abreast of emerging health tech
Learning how AI and machine learning capabilities are being implemented across healthcare organizations
Exploring consulting, advisory board, leadership, and industry opportunities beyond clinical practice
Building relationships with key stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem
Influencing new product roadmaps that are designed for clinicians, patients, and administrators
Expanding professional networks beyond traditional medicine
Staying ahead of healthcare trends that may impact daily workflows and future career opportunities
We're big believers that doctors should attend HLTH, and have a seat at the table!
Understanding the healthcare innovation landscape
One of the biggest challenges for physicians interested in healthcare innovation is understanding how the broader ecosystem works. You may be asking yourself:
Who funds healthcare startups?
How do physician advisors get recruited?
What are investors looking for?
How do health systems evaluate new technologies?
Which companies are hiring medical directors, clinical strategists, or chief medical officers?
What are people excited about? What’s overhyped and what has potential?
Traditional clinical environments rarely provide visibility into how healthcare is funded, evaluated, and implemented. By bringing together founders, investors, health system leaders, payers, policymakers, and clinicians, HLTH offers doctors a practical view of how healthcare decisions are made and where clinical expertise can create value.
Read more about attending a health tech or industry conference.
Read more about how to find speaking opportunities.
Who should consider attending?
Many physicians spend the majority of their careers seeing patients, working within health systems, interacting with insurers, and using pre-vetted technology vendors – but many doctors never see the conversations happening behind the scenes.
We are big believers that there's something of value to every physician at HLTH, but HLTH may be particularly valuable if:
You’re curious about progress in healthcare. Understanding where healthcare is headed can help you make better decisions about your career and practice.
You’re interested in AI and technology. Physicians are increasingly being asked to evaluate, implement, and oversee technology solutions. HLTH provides direct exposure to emerging tools and the leaders building them.
You’re exploring consulting or advisory work. Many physicians discover consulting, advisory board, speaking, and medical director opportunities through relationships built at conferences.
You’re interested in leadership development. Whether you aspire to become a department chair, CMO, healthcare executive, or physician entrepreneur, exposure to leaders outside traditional clinical environments can be invaluable.
You’re feeling stagnant. Sometimes the most valuable conference outcome isn’t CME credit. It’s discovering new possibilities you hadn’t previously considered.
What makes “Physicians @ HLTH” different
One common concern physicians have about industry conferences is feeling disconnected from the conversations that matter most. It used to be that ironically, there were very few physicians at HLTH. Physicians @ HLTH was created to address that challenge by providing dedicated programming, networking opportunities, and forums where clinicians can actively contribute their perspectives.
Physician Roundtables
These roundtables create structured conversations where physicians can provide real-time feedback on products, workflows, AI tools, and care delivery challenges while learning how companies think about product development and strategy. Many doctors struggle to find ways to interact directly with healthcare companies, startups, and innovators, or get a foot in the door with consulting or advisory opportunities. Career benefits include:
An introduction to the types of questions you may be asked in the consulting or advisory world
Advisory board and consulting opportunities
Relationships with founders and cross-functional teams
Exposure to product problems you can help solve
Learn how you can be invited to participate as a Roundtable physician here.
If you are a company interested in hosting a Roundtable to get physician insights, contact the HLTH team for Roundtable opportunities via the Physicians @ HLTH page.
Physician Innovator Series
Many physicians interested in getting involved in progressive healthcare solutions don’t know where to start. Or, even if they already have their foot in the door, they may want to network with peers who are walking this path alongside them, or learn from their colleagues. The Physician Innovator Series showcases physicians who have successfully built careers in entrepreneurship, technology, and healthcare leadership. These sessions focus on real-world examples, rather than theoretical situations. Career benefits include:
Learn from physician founders, executives, investors, and innovators
Explore real-world innovation and leadership career paths
Find mentors in the space, or colleagues to build alongside
Discover opportunities to get involved in the health tech ecosystem
Interested in sponsoring this event ? Contact the HLTH team for partnership opportunities via the Physicians @ HLTH page.
Physician Reception
While formal sessions provide valuable learning opportunities, many meaningful professional relationships develop during informal networking events. The Physician Reception is designed to connect physicians with other physicians, executives, founders, and sponsors in a more relaxed environment after hours. Career benefits include:
Relationship building amongst colleagues
Mentorship opportunities
Authentic conversations with peers and industry leaders
Interested in sponsoring this event ? Contact the HLTH team for partnership opportunities via the Physicians @ HLTH page.
Physicians Lounge
Large conferences can be overwhelming. The Physicians Lounge acts as a home base where physicians can reconnect with peers, continue conversations started in sessions or about things they're seeing or hearing about at HLTH, and meet other like-minded individuals. Career benefits include:
Referral and peer networking
Repeated interactions that strengthen professional relationships
A place to rest your feet amidst the thousands of steps you'll be taking, or share a meal with friends!
An opportunity to meet (and pick the brains of) successful physicians who you may not otherwise have a chance to interact with, with curated meet and greets by the PSG team throughout the conference
A shoutout to our sponsors at DocUpdate for making this lounge possible in 2026!
Nurses & Clinical Insights Program
Healthcare innovation often fails because solutions are built without frontline clinician input. This program focuses on workforce challenges, burnout, care delivery redesign, and leadership from the perspective of the people actually delivering care. Common career opportunities include:
Better understanding of operational healthcare challenges
Greater understanding of workforce challenges and solutions
Opportunities to collaborate across disciplines
Practical insights into technology adoption
Payers & Providers Insights Program
Most physicians understand clinical medicine but have limited visibility into payer-provider dynamics. Yet reimbursement, contracting, value-based care, utilization management, and healthcare economics affect nearly every aspect of practice. This program brings together leaders from both sides to discuss how care is financed and delivered. Common career opportunities include:
Better understanding of healthcare economics
Valuable for future Chief Medical Officers and healthcare executives
Insights into value-based care standards
Understanding of system-level healthcare decision-making
Interested in sponsoring one of the about activities, or in putting together other unique experiences for physicians attending HLTH? ontact the HLTH team for partnership opportunities via the Physicians @ HLTH page.
TLDR: What physicians can gain from HLTH?
We hope that physicians attending HLTH gain:
Direct access to healthcare leaders across provider organizations, startups, payers, and industry
Early exposure to emerging technologies and care delivery models
Opportunities to explore consulting, advisory, leadership, and non-clinical career paths
Connections with physicians who share interests in innovation and healthcare transformation
Greater understanding of how healthcare decisions are made beyond clinical practice
How to maximize your HLTH experience
Like any conference, outcomes depend heavily on preparation. The physicians who derive the most value from HLTH typically approach it as both a learning opportunity and a relationship-building opportunity. A few meaningful conversations can create professional opportunities that extend far beyond the conference itself. Before attending, consider:
Defining your primary goals
Identifying speakers or organizations you'd like to meet
Scheduling one-on-one meetings in advance
Participating in physician-specific events
Attending both educational sessions and networking opportunities
Following up with new contacts after the conference
Learn more in our guide for how to prepare for a healthcare technology or industry conference. These tips were compiled by physicians who have previously attended the HLTH conference as part of our Physicians at HLTH program, in partnership with HLTH.
Conclusion
The healthcare ecosystem is evolving faster than ever, and many physicians want to understand where the industry is headed and potentially help shape that future. The HLTH conference offers physicians direct access to healthcare leaders, innovators, investors, and decision-makers shaping the future of medicine. Through Physicians @ HLTH, clinicians have an opportunity to participate in these conversations as active contributors rather than passive observers. Few conferences bring together as many stakeholders from across the healthcare ecosystem in one place, and curate a specialized experience specifically for physicians to get the most out of the experience.
For physicians interested in health tech, leadership, consulting, entrepreneurship, advisory work, AI, or simply becoming a more informed physician leader, HLTH offers a unique environment to expand your perspective, build meaningful relationships, and discover opportunities that may influence the next stage of your career. We hope you'll join us!
Additional conference resources for physicians
Sign up for our weekly newsletter for updates on Physicians @ HLTH, as well as alerts about upcoming physician educational webinars and resources, and more.
Related PSG resources:
How to prepare for a healthcare technology or industry conference
Ways that physicians can get involved in health tech and innovation
Should I Take a Consultant or Advisory Role I’ve Been Offered With a Startup or Company?
Advisor Agreements (and Red Flags) for Physicians Considering Startup or Company Advisor Positions